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Thousands sign up for Colorado health challenge

DENVER — More than 5,500 people signed up for a challenge to get more Coloradans off the couch.

The Get Movin’ challenge is offering prizes for Coloradans who do 30 minutes of activity daily from Thursday through Aug. 30 and log it online. Gov. John Hickenlooper, LiveWell Colorado and Kaiser Permanente announced the challenge in July.

LiveWell Colorado says many registrants are from the Front Range. But Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk lives on the Ute Mountain Ute reservation and is trying to inspire more southwest Colorado residents to participate.

Lopez-Whiteskunk, who works in information technology, says she is exercising more and has changed her diet since being diagnosed with diabetes about four years ago. Now she says she often works out twice daily, has lost weight and doesn’t need diabetes medication. She estimates she gets about two hours of physical activity each day.

Lopez-Whiteskunk, 43, noted many tribal members already are active with ceremonial dances and weekend powwows but might not consider that exercise. All physical activity — biking, swimming, brisk walking — counts for the statewide challenge.

She said she has heard some people say they don’t have time for 30 minutes of daily exercise. “I was like, ‘How much time do you spend on Facebook?’” she said. “Thirty minutes is a small amount of time. Walking from office to office, we get that in. It’s really not that hard. We’re very active.”

More than half the state’s residents are overweight or obese, according to Colorado health officials.